VOTE FOR BLUE!

NOT BLUE AS IN RED STATE BLUE STATE, BUT BLUE AS IN MY Grand-Dog Blue Hefner. He is in the Newsday.com halloween pet contest and if you go there and vote for him (an easy call -he is a handsome dude- he just might win! I tried to link the site to the blog, but couldn't do it. Sorry Jack! Just remember to vote for Blue Hefner. Give the other dogs a one, but vote for blue as winner! Thanks for your support!

Happy Halloween

It's finally here! The big day has arrived and I am off to work shortly. I was up and at 'em bright and early this morning, as Allison missed her bus. Again. Those contact lenses require more time in the morning than she is allowing. Aaahhh, the widsom of age. I happen to know that I require about two hours to get my act together, which is why I am so enjoying my 10-3 job. I can actually get there and not feel terribly rushed. But today should be a new experience. Halloween in a costume shop. COOL! The customers coming in are much more receptive to our suggestions, as they realize time's a wastin', not to mention that costume's are flying off the racks. Allison's Alice in Wonderland arrived and we are all set for tonight. Here in upstate New York the towns are assigned Trick or Treat times, and people generally abide by them. That is new to us. In Glen Cove the doorbell started at 2:30 or so with the wee ones, and didn't let up until we turned out the lights at 9 or 9:30 with a sign on the door that said "see ya next year!" It was probably at least 300 kids then. We are going to a party tonight at a family from church who throws a party each year and your admittance is a bag of candy. They live in a very populated neighborhood near the Junior High School, and Father Ted says that the trick or treating does go beyond the published 6-8 PM suggested times. We'll see. It's all new and fun. Allison will be TorT in that neighborhood with friends from school, and is looking forward to tonight, as we are. It's Friday and it's all Good. Here are some more pictures from my trip to school at 7:15 this morning. Enjoy. Not a bad way to start the day.

RIP - Otis

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart. Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together.... Author unknown...

Dedicated to Otis Rowland. Clint, Joanne, Lily and Alexa's beloved Boxer brother. He was a good dog. Always. He will be missed by all who knew and loved him. The "oldest living Boxer" at 14, he was a gentle soul who loved his family and brought them incredible joy to the very end. Go to sleep now fella. . . good boy.

Snow Day

Did I mention we live in paradise? These are a few shots out the back window this morning, off the back deck, and around the house. I guess if you're cleaning the cars off (thanks Jerry!) the mini-snowstorm takes on a different meaning. For me, it was glorious.

In total, we received about five inches, although the snow is still flurrying in our neck of the woods. They say that the Adirondacks may be getting more snow throughout the morning, but not enough to be concerned about. Wheelerville School District had a two hour delay this morning, which is the first leg of Allison's morning trip. So, her ride to Johnstown, which was not closed or delayed at all, would have been two hours late. So, Jerry the Hero (did I say thanks Jerry?) cleaned off the cars and took her to school at 7:30. She gained an hour's sleep-in time, he gained another job. The weather people say this was totally an elevation storm, which meant if you were even three miles down the mountain, you may have just received rain. The southern towns by us received rain only, and then the catskills got as much as 18 inches of snow. Crazy. Daphne is the only one who got off easy today.

she just moved her fat little butt from the bottom of the bed to the bed in front of the pellet stove, because after all, it IS all about Daphne. This is why Jake breaks my heart. He just knows that this is his life, forever. . . you'll notice he's laying on the floor in the kitchen. If it wasn't for Daphne, he'd be living the life of Riley. He knows that. Poor guy. It's gonna be a long day.

Let it Snow..Let It Snow..Let It Snow!!

Well we are waiting for our 1st snowfall of any substance to arrive today or tonight. They say it's easier to see the deer in the snow! Can You Find the deer in the Below photo??? You need a good eye. sometimes they like to hide The snow around here can get a little deep too We are about all set for the snow if it comes, new snowplow for the truck and a new/used snow blower donated by mom from P.A. 3 gals of milk laid in incase snow gets too deep and we dont feel like running out. The new Honda Generator with Key start is perched and ready to go but not hard wired into the house if the power goes out We will come up with something using extention cords to keep warm. For those of you who have not been here in the winter , this is what the house looke like last year in the snow We are having fun and hoping to see family and Friends up soon! I Get Soo Excited when company comes down our road, sometimes I run out to greet them Laughing Out Load!!! Jen took a picture of me Laughing at my own jokes as I was typing this Blog! Til Next time Gang......... "Having the Times of our Lives!"

Verdict

The verdict is in - surgery. I am actually glad to have some forward movement at this point. I have what is called a "frozen shoulder", and the reason I am hitting a wall in therapy is because. . . I am hitting a wall. I have adhesions and scar tissue from previous injury (last summer's fall while installing the wood floor in the kitchen) and the new injury (lifting the hutch) cannot improve with therapy because the scar tissue from the old injury - so. Removing the scar tissue and the debris in the shoulder cavity will allow a more aggressive physical therapy program - with PROGRESS! I AM ON BOARD. I don't know when yet, although I DO know it is after the 10th and 11th, when we are downstate to celebrate the retirement of Detective Rasiak, and the birthday of Jacqueline. After that, I'm free to be surgically improved. Ha Ha. anyway, that is yesterday's news. Today's news is that we found a Allison Wonderland costume (dress) that can be worn for other things, so Allison is happy, as am I. I Love killing two birds with one stone (again, those hunter analogies). We are battening down the hatches today, as they are calling for 4-6 inches of show in our area. I don't know if this is the start of "base" snow, or just a quick melt type of snow that will be gone by Friday - I'll keep you posted. Walter called from downstate to compare weather (I still think he missed his calling - he should have been a weatherman). After October 15th, Long Island's rain is our snow. That is what I am hearing. There is a reason everyone is buying their child's costume to fit over a snowsuit. I get it now! Daphne got a new T-Shirt yesterday, that says "Queen of the Dog Park". Apropos. Here is Blue in his halloween costume - "Blue Hefner (Cigar and all)" he is quite a guy.

I believe he is hosting a party on Halloween. He is quite the lounge lizard. Smoking jacket and all. I love that guy. So does Daphne. She has a negligee that goes with Blue's smoking jacket.

Quite a pair don't you think? As you can see, Daphne's midsection is busting out. We're all having that waistline problem. I could recommend an elastic waistband for her - we'll have to chat. Any comments from shoulder surgery alumni would be greatly appreciated. Keep those comments coming!

UPDATE

The yellow banana costume has surfaced. It was found during business hours on Saturday, tucked underneath one of the racks at the opposite end of the store. There are two theories here. One, that the banana never left the store, but was tucked away in hopes of coming back to either rent it or make the second half of the theft easier. Two, that the costume left the store and was brought back and tossed under the rack after the perp realized that a life-size yellow banana was not anonymous, on any level. It's all circumstantial, but I love happy endings anyway. The fruit of the loom group is back together again!

We're expecting snow this week - they say 2-4 inches in the mountains - that's us! We'll see. I can't wait. Now that the leaves are all gone, I'm happy to move on to the next season. We have a busy week ahead of us and nights at home with the pellet stove fired up and a good movie are exactly what I have in mind. I work all week at the costume shop, and Jerry is on the "find the costumes" quest. We packed them and moved them, but they have not turned up yet. We have five days. It galls me to have to rent one, as I've never done that before. It goes against the very grain of all my rules - costumes should be hand made. Allison Wonderland is looking for an Alice IN wonderland costume, and I fear I will be sewing on Thursday night. I am hoping to find SOMETHING before that. I dont' have to make it, but putting it together is part of the fun. Finding this and that is part of the Halloween Quest. Our first horror movie this week was Psycho - the original. I had never seen it in it's entirety. I had always avoided the shower scene, and managed to just see bits and pieces over the years. this time I watched it all, start to finish. It was good. I am not a big fan of the genre, but Alfred Hitchcock deserves our attention. I recommend it highly. We watched Saturday night after a full-day of sightseeing in Old Forge. If you check out Old Forge on the map, you will see that we were closer to Canada than we've been so far. Alot of Canadians were there. We went to the world's greatest General Store and I have to say, it was. They had EVERYTHING! all of it good. I love the old general stores where you can buy everything from clothes to books to actual tools and hardware. It was a great trip on a rainy day, and we all had fun. Allison is seeing the world with her new contacts on, and we are adjusting to seeing her without her glasses. It takes some getting used to. She is beautiful always. I am rambling today, because it is the last day this week that I will be able to ramble. I do enjoy my free time, but I am glad that I have the responsibility of a job. I need the structure of a job to keep me motivated. I always worked better under pressure, and getting to work on time and ready is enough pressure for me right now. Today's only appointment is the orthopedist, who I am very anxious to see. We need to do something about this arm, and I'm anxious for his opinion., I have my own opinion, and hopefully we'll agree. Back to you later. Enjoy the day, it's a beauty!

APB-Yellow Banana

Stolen from the Costume Shop - Banana Costume - yellow and slightly bruised. May be seen hanging around the Fruit of the Loom characters. Sightings expected on 10/31/08.

How did they expect to get away with it? A large yellow banana. Not something that will be inconspicuous around town. It disappeared from the costume shop on Thursday of this week. We discovered it missing on Friday, and the speculation began. How do you walk out of a store with a life-size banana costume? Stuck in your bag? I don't know. Thankfully I wasn't working on Thursday, or I would have felt responsible. We're now discussing the necessity of hiring security for the week of halloween, as things in the shop are getting quite busy. And if a life-size banana can waltz out the door, there is no telling how many bags of snot or spirit gum could be tucked away in a pocket or shoulder bag. The possibilities are frightening. This is a rough job.

We had company yesterday, and it was great. Lynda and Jeff from Long Island dropped by (literally, they were in Albany) and got to see the "estate". We had some laughs and a quick tour of the area. Harley their dog was introduced to Jake and Daphne, who were both incredibly rude. Daphne had alot to say, and Jake clearly recognized a bigger wimp than him. He proceeded to hump Harley every chance he got. It was absolutely pathetic. Jake is so rarely allowed to dominate anyone that he just went to town with it. Ineffectual and misguided, he gave it his best shot. Over and over. Poor Jake. Poor Harley. We thoroughly enjoyed their visit and hope they will come back soon. We love company and want you all to know that our door is open all the time. It's great to see our friends and family at this end of the road. Thanks guys! It was great to see you. As always!

Today is rainy, damp and dreary. I try and articulate to myself a gratitude attitude each day, and today I can share - I am so grateful that I don't have to work. Although I enjoy my job, there are some days where the shoulder is just miserable and I could pass on trekking into town to work in the store. Sometimes laying around and readin a good book is the obvious choice. I thought all week that I was supposed to work this Saturday, but found out yesterday that I was wrong. YIPPEEEEEEEEE! I am off today! We have to go pick out a bathroom floor for Allison, and I have been wanting to check out the humane society since we got here, so maybe today is a good day for that. We are just looking though. I think we have a nice balance here for the moment. The humans outnumber the dogs. It's always a good percentage to keep. I hope I can remember that when we're walking through death -row. Enjoy your day, and keep your eyes out for a tall yellow banana. You never know where it might turn up.

Just thoughts. . .

As seen in the Leader Herald classifieds - FREE-Leaves for decoration. You rake and take away.

??????? Are they kidding? If you look out any window here in the northeast, you could see more leaves than you could ever DECORATE with, right outside your backyard. It must be a joke. Ya think? I love that paper.

We're just enjoying the fact that it's Friday today. Allison has her last home swim meet, and we're expecting guests. It is promising to be a busy weekend, and we're looking forward to the upstairs renovation moving forward. It's raining sheetrock dust and it's losing it's charm. When you can write your name in the furniture after you've just dusted, it's time to quit. Speaking of quitting, I'm a PT quitter. I hate physical therapy, and until I meet with the orthopedist on Monday, I just can't do it. It is too painful, and brings no reward. I had a breakthrough a few weeks ago, but then I experienced a huge setback due to driving. I am now in constant pain and any manipulation at all is excruciating. So. Until Monday, I'm giving up. I went to physical therapy on Wednesday and only did the heat pool and heat therapy. After that I felt wiped out. This is a huge problem. As I told the therapist, and anyone else who will listen, I'm not aging as gracefully as I would have hoped. Somewhere in my mind I pictured a lovely but aging Audrey Hepburn, doing good works while looking ethereal and stoic. That would be me. Instead, I'm more resembling Shelly Winters in the Poseidon Adventure. What the hell is happening here? I can't seem to control things the way I used to. If I was having a fat day in the past, I just drank water and exercised a little and felt more like myself right away. Now my fat days are lasting weeks, and the water is being retained and added to my ankles. It is becoming a daily crapshoot that I don't want to be playing. I'm complaining way more than I like. Who is this ailing and decrepid woman who is facing me in the mirror? I know this is a temporary setback, but it is scary nonetheless. Constant pain can make you crazy. I'm just not myself, whoever that is. I actually attempted to win a screaming fight this morning with a teenager. Silly me. We all know that can't be done. There is no winner in a screaming fight, and certainly not when your opponent is 14. I know this intellectually, but adding the snippy know-it-all to my morning routine was more than I could bear. So, I engaged in heated discussion about the necessity of a coat when the temperature is 23 degrees. I should know better. I get up in the middle of the night to make sure that the blankets have not slipped off my baby, and cover her up if they have. A silent tuck-in that I have performed since they were all babies. And now she's running out in freezing weather in a sweatshirt? Just shoot me. So, today I will fixate on my swelling ankles and the pain in my shoulder. I believe that may be a healthier self-preserving alternative. Or, I could decorate with leaves. I hope I have enough. If not, I know where I can get some.

weekend

It is Tuesday, and I am still trying to recoup from my weekend as a driver in the Long Island 500. My arm is hanging off my body like a tail on a pony. I overdid it to say the least. It was all worth it, but my body is revolting as only my body can do. Ouch, ouch, ouch! I actually cancelled physical therapy on Monday, because the thought of actually working out was more than I could bear. I crawled under the covers after working for four hours, and crashed. It seems to be the only solution sometimes. I am better for it. The weekend included driving down to long island on Friday night - 4 hours Driving to Rhinebeck and back for the New York Sheep and Wool Festival - 5.5 hours total Driving back upstate Sunday evening to return home (and making a 40 mile mistake - duh) - 5.5 hours I had a ball at Rhinebeck-sharing the day with friends Jane and Doris. We were a good group - everyone open to new experiences and Indian food. We enjoyed a film presentation at the Wild Fibers Magazine tent after the wool festival and were fed some exotic and SPICY food. It was fun, and I won the table prize to boot! How sweet is that? I actually used the Secret philosophy and said to myself as they were pulling the winning numbers "the prize will come to me" and it did! It was a bag of fiber wash, which can be quite expensive and is useful only for a fiber artist, so, I was happy. I bought some alpaca roving for spinning and came home inspired for another year! I love this festival. If you've never gone, it is a real beautiful time and the leaves were at PEAK in Rhinebeck. Beautiful. The trip back and forth to Long Island is getting easier each time, so easy in fact that I zoned out and continued on towards route 17 when I should have gotten off at the thruway off of route 84. After 20 miles realizing I was headed in the wrong direction (I was not so quick on that one) I turned around and got back on track. No worse for the wear. I stopped at the thruway rest stop in Plattekill and changed into pajama type clothes so I would be more comfortable and refreshed to drive the next 2.5 hours. It was a smart move. I made it home without further incident. Never a dull moment. Allison is a good travel companion and we enjoyed ourselves with some interesting conversation. It's the week before Halloween - work is hell. We may get snow tonight. We had flurries last night. How's your weather?

Deer Hunting

Well Opening Day has come and gone. Brian and I Braved the darkness, cold and made it out to hunt opening day in the Northern Zone, Adirondacks here in Caroga Lake as did many other hunters. By sunrise we made it to the tree stands. We hunted until about 11 am and made it back to the cabin without seeing anything at all. At about 1 Pm after filling our bellies we headed back out again for our deer. This time we headed down the road to a plot of land owned by my friend Dave. He allowed us to hunt on his property which backs up to state land. Dave Had cleared a road to the back of his land which was an easy walk and brought us very near the state land. Dave had a Tree stand that was not being used for the afternoon hunt and he did not have plans on being out hunting. Brian ended up taking the tree stand which was about a mile in off of North Bush Rd., I decided to walk in a little deeper and onto the state land. After walking in about another mile I found a great spot and parked my butt on a fallen log , waited with high hopes that this would be the spot to bring down a buck. I think I was seated on the log at about 1:30 or 2 PM. I had a great view of a valley without too many trees and it did allow me to see into the woods for about 100 yards in most directions that I looked. After sitting on that hard cold wet log I remembered that at one time I had one of those hunter seats that you clip on to you belt at the rear and it helps you out and keeps you comfortable...Not the case here this time. It was a warm sunny afternoon so I was just enjoying the spot and comfort of the warm sun on my face. After about an Hour or so I picked up something moving about 40 yards infront of me,...... It was a Deer! At 40 yards all I could see was the side of the deer from Mid to the tail, I was not sure if it was a buck or not. The deer left the cover of the trees and very slowly made it out onto the logging rd. / snowmobile trail and just stood there broadside to me......It was a doe. I scanned the woods for another deer following but nothing ....just this doe. Ever so slowly that doe just walked off the road and into the woods towards me, she had no idea I was there. After a while she walked off feeding, never knowing I was so close. Thinking ...Ok I'll Just sit here and enjoy the warm sun on my face, jacket open and feeling warmer then I have ever felt hunting before. I think thats because Most of my hunting always took place in the Catskills and that always started in the middle of Nov, Not many warm days, Adirondack hunting starts rifle middle of Oct. , much warmer or at least this day was. After a while, 20min's or so a Doe is walking at me from my left now and coming right at me, not noticeing me at all!!! This doe is walking on the side of the mountain and finds a sunny spot and just drops the the ground taking in the sun too. She is 20 yards away and nothing between us but 20 yards of open space and leaves on the ground that she is bedded down on. I'm watching her, she is just taking in the sun , sniffing the air and her ears are moving side to side as if radar while her eyes start to close. Within a min. or so her ears cup forward and her eyes open....she has heard something.... I'ts not me as she is looking forward and not in my direction. Off in the distance she hears something...maybe it's another deer..I'm hoping. I then hear some leaves moving in the direction that she is alert to and I see a Grouse, a Grouse is what she heard...not a deer..not a buck. We both sat there taking in the sun with here alerting every once in a while and I figured , this is helping me, I dont have to be on the alert for another deer as she will do it for me and let me know as long as I watch her. After about 20 min's of this going on I started to hurt a little from not moving at all and I also thought that if I do spot a buck and move to draw up my rifle she is going to bolt and might scare my buck. Time to make a move and release from my hold on movement. I release and she did not move. I coughed and nothing! Was this deer blind and deaf? Laughing to myself I stood up, she looked over and stood up too, now her eyes turned BIG, as BIG as two Black Lumps of Coal. She looking at me and me looking at her....A stand off. She not knowing what she was looking at, she stamped one leg the the other in her attempt to make me move. When I did move she bolted and ran off into the woods. I laughed to myself and back down onto the log and again thought, how great this day was. Again as I'm sitting there another deer makes it's way from infront of me walking slowly towards me. Another doe. This doe spots me at about 30 yards and stops dead in her tracks..I think she caught the sun shinning off of my eyeglasses. She too stomped here legs a few times at me and off she bolted into the woods.. This is really turning into a good day! So good a Buck has to be near. Not so lucky, the sun slides down behind the moutain and darkness falls, no buck deer will be taken by me today! Maybe Brain did better or at least saw something...I hope! I make my way the mile or so heading towards Brian and hoping he has got a buck or at least seen something...something that keeps him interested as he has been hunting a few years but has not bagged one yet. Darkness has arrived and I am now making my way to Brian and walking out by flashlight. I'm thinking even thought I did not see a buck it is one of the best days of hunting that I have had in a long time even though Mr. Buck sleeps safe tonight somewhere in the woods. I bursting and can't wait to tell Brian the story and Hoping that he has one just as great to tell me! Brian shows no sign of deer blood on his hands so without any words from him I can tell he has not shot and gutted a deer but none the less he has a smile on his face too...I can tell he had a good day too and can't wait to tell me about his adventure . Brian too had does walking around him while in the tree stand and they never really knew he was there until they to bolted off into the woods. Brian and I walked down the mile or so of logging road towards our truck, talked and laughed about our day. We both had high hopes for the next day out, high hopes that we would get our bucks on sunday Even though we walked out empty handed we had a great day and it will live with us for ever...the stories of this day will grow as they are told each and every time.. Long and short of it , We had fun. "Having The Times of Our Lives"

Hunting

I was invited in to the last vestige of masculinity yesterday. The bait and ammunition shop in Broadalbin. We went in search of ammunition that Brian and Jerry needed, and because they were also swinging through Wal-Mart, I decided to take the trip with them. In October, Wal-Mart becomes a huge hunting supply store, with the entire sporting goods department taken over with camouflage, orangewear, and all kinds of hunter's paraphanalia. I was expecting to run into South Park Kenny at every turn. They didn't carry the right ammunition so we needed to go to a specialty store. Every package store and gas station in Johnstown and Gloversville was loaded with hunters, all gearing up for Saturday's opening day. Since September, it has been a slow trickle of bow and black powder hunters, but all of a sudden, we were overwhelmed with hunters, pickup trucks with dogs in the back. It was as if overnight we had been morphed into a picture in Field and Stream Magazine. The excitement was in the air everywhere we went. These men had single-mindedness of mission. It is an amazing transformation of men who generally have no opinion about much. These guys were participating! My mouth was just hanging open at the level of excitement and happiness I was observing. I'm talking about Glee! I walked in the door behind Brian and Jerry and immediately felt like the groom at a bridal shower - completely out of place and just as anxious to get the heck out of there. The testosterone was palpable, and I was clearly no Sarah Palin. I was hiding out in the fly fishing section, as I was looking for some sort of familiarity, but even that was too close to the boys in the gun section. I could tell that language had immediately cleaned up on my account, and I was being shot looks by the assorted attendees who clearly wanted to know why I was there, and if I would be staying long. God Bless Jerry. He is so secure in himself that it never enters his mind why I might be unnecessary or even unwelcome in that type of environment. We are each other's sounding board. This shop didn't look like a sounding board type of place. This was man-country. I had been wandering aimlessly for quite some time, as the guys were looking over the gun selection, and it suddenly dawned on me. They had not spoken to me at all since we walked in the door, and no one had offered any type of assistance or guidance. No "Can I help you?" Nothing. What if I was shopping on my own? What if I was in fact, a hunter? I was not even acknowledged. This of course made me crazy. I immediately walked over to the gun section, leaned myself over the counter and interjected myself into the proceedings. All of a sudden I was Alaska Barbie, interested in everything they had to say. It was pretty funny. For me anyway. I don't think the clerk batted an eye. I was still as invisible as I was when I walked in, but for me I had made my personal statement. I also now know where to go for some really good fly fishing equipment. And I realized that men are not necessarily uninterested in clothes. We girls have been very wrong about this assumption. If you want to see a man get excited about wardrobe, put out some camouflage or orange-wear and you will see him actually TRY ON the stuff. It's that important that it fit right, look right and be right. Unlike everyday wear (where truthfully, he doesn't much care) hunting gear gets 10 points (no pun intended) in the importance department. I was awed. I never knew this. Jerry's hunting equpment was around long before I was, so I just assumed it was a haphazard purchase sometime in the past. Not so. Each item is checked for quality and desired thermal protection, alot. I've picked wedding dresses faster than this hunting gear was purchased. It was quite an experience.

Today, I'm off to the Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festival where we women (and an occasional man) will stand around baskets of yarn and oooh and aaaah, taking time to make decisions about our purchases, our colors, the feel of the yarn and the possibilities for successful fiber art projects. I will examine it from every angle, hold it against my skin and determine it's comfort level. Is it worthy of all the work that will go into a knitting project? Hunting for the perfect purchase, I will walk aisles and aisles of yarn, spinning wheels, carding machines and livestock, much like a hunter stalks out a Winchester 100 with good release action. We're not so different after all. Good Luck Jerry and Brian - may we all have a successful weekend.

Road Trip

We're heading south to Long Island this weekend. Allison and I will make the trip tonight, after swim practice lets out. I'm looking forward to that time with Allison, where I have a captive audience in the car. We both agree on the radio station as we pass through the Catskills - WSTK - Radio Woodstock. It has a great mix of music that we both like. It's all about the music. I can tune out alot, but not bad music. It becomes like a toothache after awhile. I am not a big fan of hip hop, but I can tolerate some of Allison's music like Falloutboy or Panic at the disco. Some of it, not all of it. Every so often I exercise my supreme rights of radio control and just turn it to my station. I can do that because I own the car and I'm driving. Nice, eh? That being said, we should have a good road trip. I am also looking forward to the Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festival which I will attend tomorrow with my friend Jane. It is the mecca for fiber artists - knitters, crochet, weavers and spinners. I can't wait!!!!!! We went last year, and were treated to a beautiful day of vendor after vendor with yarn and roving nicer than I have ever seen. I had not purchased my spinning wheel yet, so I was able to get a good look at them, making my decision on an Ashford Sonata after the festival. it was an opportunity to have hands on before I made the purchase. This year, I'm in the market for a carding machine. That is my quest. A carding machine blends different fibers into one for spinning together. When you have fiber that is 40% this and 60% that, very often it was blended in a carding machine. I want that! So, off we go. Another road trip to Rhinebeck on Saturday. This year I secured a hot ticket - dinner reservations at the Wild Fibers Magazine dinner. It should be entertaining, informative and just right before we get back on the road to Long Island - again. After spending some time with Clint and Joanne and Alexa, I will be back on the road yet again Sunday night, coming home again with Allison. The trip back and forth is becoming easier and easier, and harder and harder. I can do it now on auto pilot, without much effort. I choose the Taconic during daylight hours and the thruway in the dark. The Taconic in the dark scares me a little. I prefer my peace and quiet at home, not while I'm traveling. It's a little too remote for my taste. While all this traveling is going on, Jerry and Brian will be stalking the big one in the woods. Hopefully, they will have a successful hunting trip - but as they say, a bad day hunting is better than a good day working - I think that must be true. As you can see, retirement is keeping us busier than ever. I hope all your road trips are good ones.

tree stand

Here is photos of the tree stand that Jen bought from me a few years ago, it's set up on our property . Below photo is the Pickup that replaced the Jeep Wrangler. Parked near our Bee Yard. If you look towards the front of the truck you can see the hives. Bought it used in Aug. and before 3k miles the tranny had to be replace by the dealer. Dealership was good about it, gave me a loaner and replaced tranny , took about 2 weeks. I was coming back from Long Island with Ali on a sunday night at about 9 PM and just got onto 87 at exit 17 and tranny failed. AAA towed us to Newburg Chevy dealer at exit 17 and Jen drove down the approx 120 miles to come get us. We then truned around and drove back to the house in Caroga Lake. It was a long day!

Jerry's View

Thinking about Getting some kayaks soon...Guys in the office, now I am sorry that I let those kayaks slip thru my fingers! The above is a picture that Jen did not post which I think also needs to be posted. If you click on the picture and Jen's pictures they enlarge for you enjoyment! We had a great weekend with Walter and Sal, They did a good amount of 4 wheeling and left here with plenty of Adirondack mud on the 4 wheelers. Come back soon guys! The bees did not do so well this year, too much rain and late start for the new bees that had to replace what I lost due to the bears. I have been doing a lot of scouting for deer as opening day is this sat. for rifle in the Northern Zone. Have a few spots located, I did get the tree stand that Jen got for me as a gift ( Thanks Dean) up and is all set to bring down a deer ( bucks only during regular season) Plenty of does around but yet to have seen a Buck. Brian is coming up friday and we will do some further scouting and head out early sat. morning...Good Luck Brian! I will take some photo's and I hope that I am able to include a Buck in the Photo. Black powder season opened last sat. but I was not able to get out for it, been talkin to my neighbors who are black powder hunters and nothing yet. Life here is GREAT and It appears that it suits Jen well,Ali and Me too! We picked up a Honda generator the other day and are close to being set for the up coming winter, leaves are mostly turned and off the trees here, weather has been cool over nite and back up to the high 60's and low 70's during the day, we have had our 1st frost! Later.....Jerry "Having the times of our Lives!"

Snot

Yesterday at work I had the pleasure (?) of selling a package of snot. That's right, you read it correctly. Snot. It is a synthetic material that resembles snot, and is sold in a plastic bag for $2.50. Some ill-advised teenager came in and purchased this, hoping I'm sure to gross out and possibly impress some poor unsuspecting young lady. What a guy. I'll have to keep an eye out for him. They put alot of attention into Halloween up here. The decorations are over the top, and the store is getting more and more busy as we approach October 31. Hannah Montana costumes are flying out the door, as are Spiderman and Batman. We had one Joker costume left as of last week, and that is gone now. I always loved Halloween, but am having a bit of an overload reaction this year, because of where I work. And now, the snot. I'm just not feeling that one. I wanted to post some photos from Saturday's leaf peeping drive, because they are worth seeing. We were at Indian lake, the Campground at Sacandaga River and all throughout Northern New York. It was peak, and we loved it. I love New York. Enjoy:

Planning ahead

It's the kind of day where you just want to pull the covers over your head and go back to sleep. Thankfully Allison didn't feel that way and got up for school without a problem. I love that kid. We had a wonderful weekend visiting with Sal and Walter in between ATV runs, where they were all over Caroga on trails and off-road. They seemed to have a great time, and we were so happy to host them. The highlight was Monday Breakfast, with blueberry pancakes and coffee. What a way to start the day. We hated to see them leave, and look forward to seeing them again soon. We always try to get out and see the sights when we have guests, and this time we went further north than we have ever been, so it was new sights for us too. Indian Lake is magnificent, and the leaf peeping was even more brilliant than it is out our window. We seem to have passed peak in our neck of the woods, but up the mountains at Indian Lake it is absolutely spectacular. We visited Indian Lake State Park and are planning a summer camping jamboree at the campgrounds on Indian Lake islands. There are tent sights on the islands, and camper sights along the banks of the lake. It is an amazing campground, that is already booked for July. If you are interested in participating and want some input as to the August 2009 date, drop me an e-mail at rufflestuff@aol.com, and I will include you in the planning e-mails. We are planning to camp on an island, and will use our canoe for access. It sounds like a wonderful plan right now. I hope I feel that way still in August 2009. Off today for work and pt - i've booked them both on the same day, hoping to keep some time free - we'll see how it goes! Have a great day.

Expansion Team

Whew! What a week. Work, physical therapy, doctors appointments, school functions and rain. Never a good combination. I was incredibly busy, and truth be told somewhat depressed. You see, I've gone over to the dark side. I had to purchase some slacks this week, and I made the decision to get a pair with an elastic waistband. It was a cruel moment, but I faced it with determination. Then I went into depression, all while wearing the most comfortable pants I have ever owned. Clinton and Stacy must be on their way. But let's face it, wearing elastic waistband pants (and I only have one pair) is a milestone for the average woman, and not one she is proud of. Right up there with skirted bathing suits, elastic waistbands are the first step in a slippery slope off fashion faux pas. I have already been wearing a skirted bathing suit for years. It just looks better. But I have managed to hold off on the elastic waistband, until now. It was a decision made when I was having a bad day. I was tired and uncomfortable wearing pants that were slightly tight. Actually, if the button on the waistband had let go, it could have taken someone's eye out. I was packed into these pants like a sardine. It doesn't matter what size they are, when pants don't fit will, it is desperately uncomfortable. Every breath is a conscious expansion of your waistband. It just plain hurts. And so, with the elastic waistband pants in hand, I made a decision. Call me lazy,but I was just so sick about worrying if I could breathe comfortably the next time I went to work. Here in my hands was the solution. It didn't require not eating or giving up dessert forever, it was just a fashion adjustment that would never be seen. But it is a mindset. And I plunged into feeling badly for the rest of the week. On good days, I can still wear the other well fitted slacks that I own, and I will do that as long as possible. But at some point you just begin to ask "why?". "Why am I killing myself here?". At fifty years old no matter how good I look, I will never be the babe at the party. I will be the fifty year old who looks good for her age, or not. Recognizing where I am in my life, and celebrating the realities, is a skill I intend to perfect. There is nothing scarier than watching a woman who will not give up her youth, even if it is only in Her mind. I am reminded of The Cat Woman. No amount of surgery is going to make her look younger. Only more and more desperate. An expanding waistline I can live with. Surgically enhanced cheekbones and plumper lips is not something I am looking to acquire, at any point. And so, I face the future with optimism and now, comfort. Soon I will be exploring the possibilities of "comfortable shoes" and "easy care" fabrics. Things I would have turned my nose up at just a few short years ago, but not now. It's not about fashion on regular days. Sure, dressing up and going out is still something I love to do, and intend to do as often as possible, but I no longer fear the day to day effort required to just get up and out comfortably. Without having to suffer through a fat day without breathing normally. If I am working around the house or heading out to work for the day, I may choose to dress comfortably. Or not. Why does good fashion have to be uncomfortable? Am I really a candidate for a makeover? I'm still not really sure how I feel about this, but there they are hanging in the closet and ready to go. I can talk the talk, but can I walk the walk? It's a scary transition.

Walter and Sal are here for the weekend. I will be eating 'smores and enjoying every one. That may be the decider. If I can't close my pants, I will be an elastic convert. In a heartbeat. Stay tuned.

catching up

I've been doing alot of catching up in the past few days. Now that I am working, I do find myself with less free time, and thus I am constantly playing catch up. There are two schools of thought on this. One, that I am healthily busy and need to move myself a little faster in order to accomplish great things. Or, two, that I am too busy to get things done and therefore getting backed up and unorganized. The jury is out still. We'll see. We are alone here this weekend, and the weather promises to be glorious. So, our choice is to go apple picking tomorrow and then drive to the cider mill to have the apples processed. As we all love cider we are thinking this is the way to go. We are on the off week of the contractors, which means they are catching up at the jobs they put off in order to complete our bathroom, which is incomplete. There are still some little leftover jobs to be done, and we are waiting. But as I said, they are catching up elsewhere. Allison is at swim practice, I am working today, and Jerry is installing the kitchen countertop. Once that is done, I will have pictures to post, and you will be totally amazed at our finished (mostly) kitchen. We are amazed as well. With all the planning and different areas of expertise being drawn upon, I am just thrilled that it all came together. We love it. it is finished just in time for wood stove burning time. At 45 degrees, it is not terribly cold, although there is a chill in the air. I'm waiting for the snow, which they say may begin flurrying next week. NEXT WEEK!!!!!! Yesterday we had hail. It was pea size and lasted about five minutes. The weather here is a constant topic of conversation, even among the young people. I dropped something off at Allison's school yesterday, and the first thing she said when she saw me was "did you see the hail?" As I said, we are all just in weather overdrive. The swim team is doing well, and Allison shaved a second off her breast stroke time last night. She was happy about that because it took alot of practice. In the pool, a second makes or breaks you. Just ask Michael Phelps. In my pool, I'm not shaving off seconds, I'm shaving off stiffness. I too had a breakthrough at physical therapy, and am thrilled to report that my range of motion went from 35 degrees to 75 degrees. overnight. I kid you not. I have been working real hard, and although it has felt better, the range has not changed much. Then all of a sudden, I had this breakthrough from Thursday to Friday. It is a real kick. I am hoping to be back to tap dancing soon,and then we'll see what Friday nights bring. I do miss the dancing. I have alot of catching up to do there too. It occurred to me this morning that if I slow down enough, I will eventually be first ahead of those who are coming up behind me on their second lap. Brilliant don't you think?

Camping

It is a completely dreary day today, but the temperature is still hovering around 60 degrees. We drove through part of Massachusetts yesterday, and they are way ahead of us in the golden leaf process. I was thinking we were at peak here in Caroga, but that is actually only out my back window. I was surprised to see that the leaf changes are only at about 30-40 percent down the mountain. But in Massachusetts -- WOW! IT WAS GORGEOUS. It was so spellbinding that I didn't even think to use the camera - I was too busy ogling.

We had the opportunity to get back to Connecticut yesterday to handle some family business, and I spent some time at the Campground where my Mom and Dad had a trailer for so many years. It was a place of happy memories, and our kids all had great times there. Mom and Dad were so much fun and it is important for us to be reminded of those good times. It was a beautiful campground then with all kinds of activities, and good friends were made there year to year. We miss them both, and miss the happy memories we had as a family. Yesterday marked the end of an era, and it was a tough day. How blessed we were to have that wonderful place for so many years. Each tree, road and walkway through the campground held a memory for me. Bingo, bike rides, the playground, the boulders and the camp store. I wonder if my children have such vivid memories as I do, or are their memories triggered by other things? I can remember pushing strollers along the dirt roads and paths, loaded down with towels and pool toys. Just hearing car tires along the pebbled driveway to the store was such a flashback. I am so grateful to have had those times, at that place, and with my folks. I will never sit around a campfire that I don't mentally thank them for the outdoor experiences they gave me growing up, and those same experiences they shared with my own children. It is a legacy that has taught us all to keep sharing campfires and good times. A toast to Mom and Dad - Thank you.